


Evenly Matched

by filthy_rat



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-13 05:49:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4510215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filthy_rat/pseuds/filthy_rat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaidan and Shepard blow off steam</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evenly Matched

Sighing, Kaidan puts a hand on the swinging heavy bag to make it still. In need of something to blow off steam, the major has borrowed some of Vega’s exercise equipment and turned the empty starboard cargo space into a makeshift gym. For the better part of an hour – or was it two? Time has gotten away from him – Kaidan has vented his frustrations out on the weathered punching bag, wrapped knuckles now sore from use, bare chest glistening. Sweat cooling on his skin, he turns away from the bag to retrieve a towel and a water bottle from a nearby table. The door whooshes open as he dabs at his sweaty forehead.

“I’ll be out of your way in just a--” says Kaidan, but he stops short as he sees who has entered.

It’s Shepard. She’s dressed for exercise – military-issue sports bra beneath her open N7 sweatshirt, spandex shorts, her mousey brown hair tied back in its usual ponytail. A few strands are loose near the front, falling across her forehead like always. Kaidan’s gaze lingers for longer than necessary on the olive strip of toned, muscular stomach exposed. Shepard always was fit, but the months of hot food and lack of a strict regimen has softened her, taken away some of the harshness and replaced it with subtle curves.

It’s the first time Kaidan’s seen her this exposed since… well…

“No rush,” says Shepard lightly, leaning back against the wall and watching him with those scrutinizing green eyes. “James said you’d shanghaied his equipment. Needed some time alone?”

“Yeah, James was staring,” Kaidan admits, only half-joking, and he swallows a mouthful of ice water. Shepard nods in understanding, and looks away from him. Silence stretches on between them, quickly approaching the border of awkward. Kaidan remembers – it feels like a lifetime ago – how easily they shared conversations. Now it feels strange. She’s so familiar and yet so alien, simultaneously the same as she was and completely different. Kaidan’s brows furrow as he studies her, trying to pinpoint what it is that has him so discomfited. And with a pang, he realizes.

…Cerberus has polished away her scars, her freckles, her _imperfections._

And suddenly, Kaidan is reminded of _why_ conversations with her are so awkward now. She’s moving now, levering herself away from the wall and crossing the room to the heavy bag beside him.

“Something bothering you, Kaidan?” she asks. Such a loaded question, yet asked so innocently. _Yes,_ he wants to say. _You aren’t the same, I’m not the same, but I…_

“I’m fine, Shepard,” he says, turning away from her and draping the towel over one shoulder. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“Wait,” she says, halting him in his tracks. “It’s been awhile. Think you can still take me on, Major?” she asks, arching a playful brow and for just a moment, he catches a glimpse of who she _used_ to be. Before Reapers, before Cerberus… Before the weight of the world was unfairly thrust upon her shoulders. “I might be a little rusty,” she admits. Is she blushing?

In spite of himself, Kaidan smiles and turns to face her. “Shepard, you are a lot of things, but _rusty_ isn’t a word I’d use to describe you.”

Her lips curve into a subtle smirk. “Are you accepting my challenge, then?”

“Alright,” says Kaidan, grinning, “you’re on.”

Still smirking, Shepard shrugs out of her sweatshirt, revealing even more skin and Kaidan has to force himself not to stare. Trying to distract that part of his brain that wants to pin her against the wall, he takes another long swig from his bottle of water, back turned towards her. Hopefully she didn’t notice the flush to his cheeks that had nothing to do with exercise.

“Go easy on me, okay?” she says, rotating her shoulder as she sidles onto the mat, watching him as he approaches.

“No promises, Commander,” replies Kaidan. Truth be told, he’s almost certain she’ll win in the end – she always was better at hand-to-hand combat. Not to mention faster. Her fighting style is, however, easy to pick up on. He wonders if she’s learned anything new since their last dance.

Keen eyes following his every movement, she steps slowly to the left, and Kaidan mirrors her movements. They circle each other, testing the waters, experimenting. Kaidan feels distinctly like a hapless mouse moments before a cat pounces. Shepard always did remind him of a wildcat, so slow and smooth, each action deliberate and careful, until the moment she springs.

But it seems she’s content to wait, biding her time. Or perhaps she’s just enjoying the view. Shepard always did like to stare. Kaidan catches her glance more than once at the waistband of his sweatpants. When her eyes flick from his face to his stomach for a fourth time, he takes the opportunity and surges forward.

Shepard is fast but his tactic works – almost. His hands fly to her shoulders, intent upon overpowering her with his size. She balks, caught off guard by the sudden movement. Kaidan seizes her shoulders and he tries to push, but she’s smart. Her foot slides back, widening her stance and negating his strength for the time being. For a moment they grapple, hands on shoulders, but they are evenly matched. As they both try to overpower the other, Kaidan becomes increasingly aware of their closeness. Their foreheads are touching. Shepard licks her still-smirking lips.

But Kaidan won’t be distracted. With a sweep of his leg, he knocks one of Shepard’s feet from under her and uses the momentary power imbalance to his advantage. Arms around her waist, Kaidan slams her to the mat, and remains on his feet. He bends, hands propped on his knees, grinning down at her.

“I said,” pants Shepard in exasperation, “to go _easy!_ ”

Kaidan exhales a tired laugh, and starts to straighten, but Shepard isn’t done with him yet. Her leg swings out in an arc, knocking his feet out from under him. He falls backward with a surprised shout, quickly rolling onto his stomach to scramble to his feet but Shepard is too quick. She pounces onto his back, pinning him to the mat with her weight.

“Ha!” gasps Kaidan, grinning despite the situation. “Now who should go easy?”

“Don’t lie, Major,” purrs Shepard into his ear, and he goes immediately still. Uh oh. “You like it.”

Kaidan’s mind temporarily short circuits. Is she…? Shepard chuckles huskily in his ear, and Kaidan feels his traitorous heart skip a precious beat. With a grunt, he quickly rolls to the side, intent on toppling her over. But her knees dig into his sides and she uses his momentum against him. They roll a few feet across the mat, grappling and struggling to gain control. Kaidan pins her at last, his knees braced on either side of her thighs, his hands pressing her forearms to the mat. Both of them are breathing heavily, faces flushed, skin slicked with sweat. Her chest heaves with each breath, brushing against his skin with every inhale. Kaidan’s never wanted her more.

“Liara was right about you,” pants Shepard, blowing the loose strands of her ponytail from her eyes.

“Oh?

“You have become very… _capable._ ”

With a muffled shout of exertion, Shepard’s thighs lift and squeeze his hips. Before he can react, she rolls, effectively switching their positions. Now she sits astride him, breathing hard, sweat-slicked skin glistening under the cold fluorescent lights, tendrils of hair now sticking to her sweaty forehead. Her brows are furrowed into a hard line, lips no longer smirking. Now she is the tigress again, and he the hapless mouse.

Kaidan’s breath leaves him in a rough, surprised grunt as his back hits the mat. He doesn’t struggle when she slaps his wrists to the mat beside his head, lowering herself until their faces are mere inches apart. He misses counting her freckles, which have long been erased by Cerberus science. Kaidan’s eyes flick down to her lips, and he licks his own subconsciously.

“Not capable enough, it seems,” he says softly.

For a long moment, neither move from their positions, neither willing to give in. Their harsh, ragged breaths fill the silence, muffling the sound of their own rapid heartbeats.

Kaidan’s uncertain who makes the first move, to be honest. But the next thing he remembers is her mouth on his, insistent and demanding. He wants nothing more than to touch her, to squeeze and grope, but his hands are still pinned. Shepard’s teeth graze his bottom lip, and he can’t help it. He groans into her mouth, low and quiet, more feeling that sound. Her hips roll against his, teasing, slow.

“Let me go,” he demands roughly, when she withdraws a hairsbreadth to breathe.

“Now why would I do that? Now that I’ve got you right where I want you…” she asks, voice a silken purr. That predatory gleam flashes in her eye again, and Kaidan’s jaw muscle tenses. Cocktease.

He yanks his hands free of her grip, desperate to feel her. Kaidan reaches for her sports bra, tearing hungrily at the material as he pushes it up before she can stop him. The stretchy fabric bunches up, exposing the soft swell of her breast, dark nipple already perked in excitement. Using his grip on her hips as leverage, he sits up, and takes a nipple into his mouth. Shepard’s moans sharpen quickly into a startled gasp, her hands lifting, fingers combing through his sweat-damp hair. They curl into fists and she yanks, pulling his mouth from her breast. Her lips find his, hungry, and oh, so demanding. He can barely think, can barely breathe.

Kaidan digs his fingers into her backside, squeezing her firm flesh through the material of her shorts. Suddenly he pitches her to the side, rolling her underneath him. She struggles briefly to remain atop him, still wanting to be in charge, still wanting to lead like always, but now it’s Kaidan’s turn. His hands encircle her wrists, slamming them to the mat while his mouth travels a slow path from her jawbone down her neck and collarbone. It isn’t long before she gives up being in charge.

“Kaidan,” she moans, her voice almost helpless, and a thrill of pride surges through him. It’s been years, but he still remembers the way to make her body respond, the things that make her knees weak, that make the great Commander Shepard mewl and whine.

His mouth caresses the valley between her breasts and she arches. His hand hooks behind her knee, drawing her thighs around his hips, and she rolls her hips against his. His callused hands knead her breasts and she gasps. Almost like an instrument he plays her, reveling in her beautiful tune. One of his hands skate down to the waistband of her shorts, pausing at the threshold. Shepard’s hips roll, attempting to get him where she most needs him. But Kaidan is a patient man.

“Tell me what you want, babe,” whispers Kaidan huskily, and he slips his fingers past her waistband a few inches. She arches with a whine.

Shepard closes her eyes, lower lip caught between her teeth, and doesn’t answer. Kaidan’s fingers don’t move. He waits for her, knowing she can’t keep this up much longer. Neither can he, but he’s not about to let her know that.

“I want you, Kaidan,” whispers Shepard in a ragged voice, opening her eyes a fraction to look up at him. “Please, it’s been so long, I….” She pauses, wetting her lips with her tongue before continuing. “I need you."

Kaidan leans down to kiss her, seeking her sweet taste once more, as his hands work the fabric of her shorts down. He yanks the shorts, panties and all, down her legs and off, tossing them carelessly over his shoulder. Sighing, his fingers automatically seek the apex between her legs, pleased with how wet she already is for him. With a pleased smirk, he traces her folds with one fingertip, watching with hungry fascination as she writhes beneath him. When he sinks one finger inside, she moans. When another joins the first, she gasps his name, fingers digging red furrows into his shoulders.

As his hand moves slowly inside her, his mouth trails slowly from her neck to her breast, tongue flicking around each perked nipple, one after the other. Her scars are long gone, but he remembers them still, tracing the invisible marks with his lips and tongue and teeth, until Shepard is whimpering. Kaidan’s lips move slowly down her body, mapping a familiar path across every hill and through every valley. It becomes obvious after a few moments where he’s headed.

Shepard’s thighs eagerly spread to accommodate him, her fingers combing through his dark hair as his mouth connects with that waiting heat. His name is lost on her tongue, words sharpening into an inarticulate whine. The edge of Kaidan’s stubble rasps against her inner thighs, an exquisite juxtaposition of softness and harshness that has Shepard’s knees weak. With tongue and lips, he lifts her higher, winds her tighter and tighter, his hands holding her thighs tight, tethering her to this world.

“Kaidan!” gasps Shepard, as the pleasure crests all at once, and her fingers tighten in his hair. “I’m going to –“

Kaidan groans out his assent against her flesh, eyes flicking upward to watch her face as she comes undone before him. When her tremors cease, she lays sated and breathless on the mat while Kaidan crawls atop her again. Mm, what a sight – the great Commander Shepard, face flushed, skin slick with sweat, all because of _him_. Smirking to himself, Kaidan leans down to kiss her neck, feeling her pulse jump beneath his lips, reveling in the way she clings to his shoulders.

But perhaps he should’ve been paying closer attention elsewhere. Shepard isn’t done being in charge just yet. So enthralled with her is he that he doesn’t notice her thigh shifting. She hooks her knee behind his and rolls them once more, repositioning herself atop him with a satisfied sigh. Kaidan’s hands automatically slide to her hips. He should’ve known.

“Just how many times are you going to put me on my back?”

Shepard’s half-lidded eyes glitter. “Until I’m done,” she replies coolly, and her hands skates down to the waistband of his sweatpants. His hard cock presses against her, trapped in his clothing, as she rocks her hips forward, and Kaidan’s head drops back to the mat with a groan.

Shepard smiles, and with some maneuvering, frees his stiff member from the confines of his jockeys and sweatpants. Kaidan moans helplessly, brows furrowed, as her fingers ghost teasingly across his sensitive flesh. God, but she was gorgeous, lips parted, eyes hooded – Kaidan needed her more than air.

“Shepard, babe,” whispers Kaidan hoarsely, his fingers twitching on her hips as she caresses him. “Please.”

She smirks down at him, and he knows that she’s enjoying seeing him like this. Shepard leans back a little, his cock in her hand, lining him up… The tip slips against her waiting slickness more than once, only making Kaidan twitch and gasp with pleasure. Until at last, he feels himself sinking into her, inch by glorious inch, until she envelops him fully. They moan aloud at their joining, taking just a moment to revel in the feeling, before Shepard starts to move.

Kaidan pulls himself into a sitting position, mouth eagerly connecting with her neck, her collarbone, her breast. One arm snakes around her waist, holding her in place as they move together. It’s rougher than he would’ve liked, but there’s time for finesse later. She leans down to claim his mouth in a brutal, breathtaking kiss, and Kaidan groans out her name between gulps of air.

Nails leave red lines on skin, teeth bite down, fingers grip with bruising firmness – the pair of them are marked from collarbone to hip, and Kaidan falls backward onto the mat with a groan. He finds himself entranced by her, watching breathlessly as she rides him to completion. And what a glorious ride it is.

At long last, Shepard moans his name as she clenches around him. Kaidan mumbles husky praise in her ear, fingers clinging hard to her hips as they stutter and grind against him, riding the last of the aftershocks. Breathless, he slips out of her at the last second, spilling himself hot and thick onto her stomach with a stifled groan. Her hand squeezes and strokes him until he’s twitching from over-stimulation.

“Mm,” sighs Shepard, taking a deep breath as she lowers herself atop him, seeking with her lips the salty taste of his skin. “I missed you, Kaidan,” she says, voice soft in his ear.

“I missed you too, Shepard,” he replies, hand squeezing and caressing the curve of her backside. Part of him wants to tell her that he loves her, that he always has. Always will. Shepard’s fingers comb slowly through the dark hair on his chest, her head nestled beneath his chin. Kaidan turns his head to the side, to kiss her forehead and whisper the words --

Suddenly, the hydraulic doors whoosh open. “Hey, Major, I’m gonna need – Ah!” Vega takes about three steps into the room before he recoils in horror, wrinkling his nose at the sight in front of him. “You know what, never mind, I don’t need it that badly!” he mutters, turning on his heel and retreating from the room without a backward glance.

As the door whooshes closed again, Shepard laughs for the first time several years. Kaidan chuckles in spite of himself. “Guess we should’ve _locked_ that door… Poor James,” says Shepard, when she’s finally managed to stop giggling. Kaidan immediately misses the sound.

“Probably would’ve been the _smart_ thing to do,” agrees Kaidan, grinning.

“Hm… I think I might need a shower after all that. Meet me in my quarters?” she asks, lifting her head to look him in the eye.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says, leaning up to kiss her chin.

Shepard smiles down at him, and reluctantly stands. The pair of them spend a few moments making themselves presentable, rearranging clothes and fixing hair. As Kaidan bends to pick up his discarded shirt, Shepard gives his backside a firm swat as she exits.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long, Major. That’s an order,” she says, and winks as the door whooshes closed.

 _Oh, I won’t,_ Kaidan thinks with a smirk. _Not anymore._


End file.
